Thursday, March 19, 2015

State officials announced legislation Wednesday that would require Medicaid to pay for a medical treatment involving topical oxygen, currently used to treat severe, non-healing wounds of the type common in diabetes.

DOH said it was going to end payments for the treatment, calling it unproven and saying other treatments were available.

State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Park Slope, East Flatbush) and Assistant Assembly Speaker Felix Ortiz (D-Red Hook, Sunset Park) told reporters that the issue is important to Brooklyn residents because the largest percentage of patients using this treatment live in Brooklyn.